Canvas fire hose is generally dried after each use and then folded or coiled into a compact roll for transport or storage. If the hose is folded or coiled by hand it is a backbreaking and time consuming operation that often requires the cooperation of several men. Various reels and winders have heretofore been proposed to aid in folding or winding fire hose. U.S. Pat. No. 3,168,260 for instance, discloses a reel that can be hand cranked for winding fire hose into a coil, which can then be bound and removed from the reel. U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,862 discloses a horizontally mounted motor driven reel that also winds hose into a compact coil. U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,862 discloses a motor driven hose folder that folds hose into a compact bundle.
In general, a problem with these prior art hose winders is that they are not suitable for winding large diameter or relatively heavy, double jacket hoses. In addition, these prior art winders may be difficult for one man to operate and generally lack the portability to be utilized in field operations.
The hose winder of the present invention on the other hand, can be utilized with single jacket hose ranging in diameter from 11/2" to 5" or double jacket hose up to 3 inches in diameter without any adjustments to the machine. In addition, the present hose winder is highly mobile for use in field operations and has a novel arrangement for supporting a coupling end of the hose while the hose is coiled around the coupling.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive apparatus for winding fire hose or the like into compact coils.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrically powered hose winder apparatus capable of handling different diameter hose without adjustments to the machine.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a highly mobile hose winder apparatus suitable for field operations.